DivineMadman
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Posts posted by DivineMadman
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46 minutes ago, NIrishGuy said:
so, and again....
I'm confused - so are we now suggesting that Thailand has added "the USA and Great Britain" to list saying that should people arrive from those Countries to Thailand they now have to be quarantined for 14 days ?
Short answer = no.
The key difference is "Ongoing Transmission" vs. "Disease Infected Zone." U.S./UK are ongoing transmission countries, which currently does not require self-quarantine.
Disease Infected Zone are the worst. Example right now - Italy. (China etc.). They are (1) you need a doctor's note to get on the plane and of course simple T8 form and (2) mandatory self-quarantine. AND you're self-reporting on the special app. (NOT the AOT T8 app). Highest level of supervision in-country other than people in hospitals. DON'T COME TO THAILAND.
Ongoing Transmission Country means you do not need a doctor's note, you do need to fill out the very simple t8 on your smartphone. So far you do not have to self-quarantine but you do will have to download a special app to self-report - I think it is at least daily, but not sure - that you are still not showing any symptoms. So far I haven't come across any word on the travel restrictions they may be imposing. They might, for example, ask people to practice social distancing.
This new app - which I haven't seen and hope not to ever see - is meant to replace the health department officials having to call people on the phone to update status. It may also record your locations. I don't know.
Of course this can change in a minute.
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1 hour ago, ggobkk said:
Coconuts Bangkok is reporting that the VOA ban has been suspended one day after it was announced.
a review of the policy may happen next Tuesday.That Coconuts article you read might not have been up to date.
Bangkok Post has a good flip-by-flop story. In any event, the way it has settled down the VOA suspension is real and being put into effect. They decided they didn't need the cabinet meeting. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1877614/plan-to-scrap-visa-causes-confusion
In any event, this recent article in Coconuts reports that the VOA suspension is in effect. Unfortunately it's thrown in with all the other examples of mismanagement and general buffoonery that it's a bit hard to find. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thailand-contradicts-flip-flops-sugarcoats-covid-19-as-public-teeters-on-pandemic-panic/
So bottom line is the VOA suspension is in effect - until there is another flip on the issue.
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5 minutes ago, ggobkk said:
China is still eligible for VOA...
Not sure that is currently correct.
via Richard Barrow:
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I still recommend mass transit, but for those interested, there's a discount if you go by JustGrab, GrabCar or GrabBike. Promo Code: MADFACE
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Well, if Trump can try to blame COVID-19 on immigrants and Europe, this sort of stuff can't be all that surprising either:
One note about him - he's the guy who supposedly has political ambitions and got a lot of positive feedback from Thais after his previous rant about farang not wearing masks. In the U.S. we would say he has a future at Fox News.
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10 minutes ago, z909 said:
Have I missed something ?
Yes, you have. It's the list of countries that were - until the suspension - in the Visa on Arrival scheme.
What Thailand has done here - as the article says - is suspend the VOA scheme entirely.
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FYI - An update to the existing AOT Airports app allows you to fill out the T8 on the phone. Available in the Apple U.S. Store and presumably elsewhere as well.
The article posted by Spoon above said that people could use the app or the T8. Makes sense. Presumably if you don't have a smart phone the paper form T8 will do. At least that would seem to be the most likely outcome. But it would certainly seem like a good idea to download the app before flying into Thailand.
There's free wifi at BKK and DMK.
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10 hours ago, gpfun69 said:
Saw this in the latest news that visitors need to download apps to complete the required information. Imagine for those without data package, how are they going to download the apps to complete the information if they are unaware of this new requirements?
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30383878
Starting from tomorrow (March 12 ), all foreign tourists arriving at all international airports in Thailand will be required to download an AOT Airports application onto their mobile phones as a measure to contain the spread Covid-19 in the country.
The requirement also applies to Thai returnees from high risk countries.
The measure was agreed at a meeting of the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Disease Control, Airports of Thailand and five telecom operators.
Once the app is downloaded, they will have to fill in the required information - name, surname, passport ID , mobile phone number, e-mail address and present them to the immigration officials on duty . The information will be stored for 14 days after arrival.
In the case of a virus-infected person, the information given will enable related state agencies to follow protocols. The state agencies will also be able to trace and inform passengers on the same flight as the infected individual.
Digital Economy Minister Puttipong Punnakanta said the measure was meant to reassure both Thais and foreign travellers of Thailand's readiness in tackling the Covid-19 outbreak.
There was also a post about this on the "What to know before booking flights" thread. Further discussion may be found there.
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21 hours ago, vaughn said:
I was waiting to see how this all unfolds over the past few weeks, but today i made the call to reschedule my trip, mostly due to the risk of quarantine because my flights transit Hong Kong.
Thankfully Cathay Pacific allow a free booking reschedule and i didn't pre-pay at Le Meridian so I have re-booked for June, hopefully things are a little more settled by then but I will have to wait for another year to see Songkran.
21 hours ago, DivineMadman said:Probably the wise decision. You've probably already checked - but just in case you did not, Buddhist Lent begins on June 7 (holiday on the 6th this year). Bars might not be selling alcohol on the holy day and depending on who-knows-what, some bars may be closed.
The good news/bad news is that I mis-wrote the date. Khao Phansaa is JULY 6. Not June 6.
Sorry for the confusion.
Also on the possible good news/bad news front, there is a report that some in the government have floated the idea of pushing the official Songkran celebrations to that weekend. https://www.khaosod.co.th/special-stories/news_3734014. (sorry the article is in Thai).
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25 minutes ago, anddy said:
They say the form is available on the website (as it should be), but I was unable to locate it (surprise surprise, messy Thai government websites....). I couldn't even find as much as a hint or mention of this on the DDC website....
https://ddc.moph.go.th/viralpneumonia/eng/index.php
Link anyone?
Previously posted a pic of one in the "What to know..." thread. Here is a better copy.
- anddy and williewillie
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The form is "T8". Same form that they have been using for a while.
https://www.caat.or.th/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/T8_form.pdf
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One view of why contact tracing is important. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/10/814129534/how-the-painstaking-work-of-contact-tracing-can-slow-the-spread-of-an-outbreak
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26 minutes ago, spoon said:
Now they will definitely know where u are and where u go while u are in thailand.
....only if you carry your phone with you. (Or I suppose you could have two phones - one you register and another to have with you when you don't want to be tracked.).
But probably the right thing to do is let the health professionals have the info on where you've been.
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13 minutes ago, vaughn said:
I was waiting to see how this all unfolds over the past few weeks, but today i made the call to reschedule my trip, mostly due to the risk of quarantine because my flights transit Hong Kong.
Thankfully Cathay Pacific allow a free booking reschedule and i didn't pre-pay at Le Meridian so I have re-booked for June, hopefully things are a little more settled by then but I will have to wait for another year to see Songkran.
Probably the wise decision. You've probably already checked - but just in case you did not, Buddhist Lent begins on June 7 (holiday on the 6th this year). Bars might not be selling alcohol on the holy day and depending on who-knows-what, some bars may be closed.
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5 hours ago, jason1975 said:
YMCA by all the staff? They copied it from Moonlight! I can’t wait to be back in Bangkok on Saturday and Lucky Boys is definitely the bar I’m going (after dropping by at Red Dragon to say hi to @paulsf !)
He's most likely holding court at Hot Male, not Red Dragon.
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Here's the medical certificate being used in HKG. (Via Richard Barrow)
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6 minutes ago, macaroni21 said:
Even if the rules apply to the disease-infected zones, they don't speak of passengers from those countries. They speak of airlines operating flights from those zones. So, transit passengers transiting through Seoul or Hong Kong would be included. (I don;t suppose many would transit through Rome or Tehran.)
Mack.
The rules are not being read as applying to "mere" transit folks. https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-news/1580226297.htm. Strongly encourage people who care to check IATA. ("This does not apply when they only transited through China (People's Rep.), Hong Kong (SAR China), Iran, Italy, Korea (Rep.) or Macao (SAR China)")
There are already reports of people flying Cathay who have visited HKG not getting past the check-in counter this morning because - obvs - no med certificate. But they are "originating" in HKG.
U.S. person (for example) flying from JFK connecting to BKK via HKG not covered. (Unless of course otherwise meet the criteria. And unless and until the U.S. goes on the red-light list.)
Obviously can change any time.
Cathay has tried to put the info in consistent format that's not quite as exhaustive as the IATA info. Personally I find it easier to read, but probably not as quasi-authoritative as IATA. https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_US/travel-information/travel-preparation/travel-advisories/notice-regarding-travel-restrictions.html
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There's an interesting sort of "Decameron"-like vibe to travel right now, but honestly I don't think anyone should travel unless they are prepared to get stuck along the way.
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Bangkok "state-sponsored" Songkran activities cancelled. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1875224/virus-axes-songkran-festivities
Maybe worth noting that even though the water splashing on Khao San Rd. was officially cancelled last year (in the lead up to the coronation), it still happened.
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39 minutes ago, z909 said:
Wow
I was in Chinatown Sunday night for a street food tour. It was busy but not really crowded. The tour included a couple of the more famous vendors - a few are in the Michelin guide - and there was no line to get food and some well-known stalls just a had a few customers, mostly local.
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It would certainly seem to be simpler just to ban travelers from the countries on the "super-bad" list, but in the absence of that, requiring the medical certificate smacks of a compromise to avoid that draconian step. It's just a face-saving way of saying "you can't come in." Other countries are doing similar inconsistent/imperfect things. Home quarantine for all visitors a la Israel is surely imperfect as well.
Personally, I don't get all bolloxed up over whether it is practical to obtain and obviously there are gaps between the issuance of the certificate and entering the country for any disease. It's another of those situations where "do not let the perfect be the enemy of the good." Biggest impact will be just to stop people from those countries trying to visit. If someone really cares enough to get the certificate, it provides some level of protection, even if imperfect. Then screen on arrival for fever (and presumably before embarkation as well). It all seems to be the understandable result of practical people trying to do the right thing.
Again, it would certainly be simpler to ban everyone from those countries.
ThaiVisa had a report that the same thing was being required for visa applications in Penang.
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3 minutes ago, spoon said:
If its written by someone not from thailand, referring the nation as third party, the asian nation, seems logical. Im not sure if the writer or bangkokpost is from thailand or not.
For your amusement, Exact same article in Free Malaysia Today news website. https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2020/03/09/thailand-makes-airlines-liable-for-virus-infected-passengers-medical-bills/ Same "the Asian nation."
Credited to Bloomberg.
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19 minutes ago, spoon said:
Lol thailand aviation regulator dont decide for asian nation. They can decide for flight boardint for thailand only.
To be fair I think the Thai aurthorites -- and the article --- didn't try to say that the thai regulators were applying that rule to flights to all asian nations. "Travellers who can’t provide documentation should be prevented from boarding flights to the Asian nation." (emphasis added by me.). It says "the" not "a" or "any". So it's referring back to, and describing, "the" Asian country ... Thailand.
That's how a lot of press agencies seem to write dispatches. "Bhutan shuts it's borders.... No foreigners will be allowed into the Himalayan kingdom....."
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22 minutes ago, petr55 said:
@DivineMadman: Do you speak or read/write thai? I tried googling Kingsway but didn't find any results. How did you find it? I think your address is correct because in the middle right of the photo is the "KIngsway" logo.. (Thanks)
I forget what my google maps search was. It's possible that because I am in Thailand I get a google map on a server over here that differs from yours. Haven't a clue. Or it might be that my search history is such that Google knows I want a gay bar no matter what I type. I read/write a bit, but so poorly that I only use Thai addresses in Thai language when absolutely necessary.
I wouldn't discourage you to visit Chiang Mai this summer. I think the governor of Chiang Mai said that COVID-19 is afraid of the heat. And I trust him. (hehe).
These Thai-for-Thai clubs are great to visit if you bring local guys with you as a treat. It's just that in my experience as an observer when I've gone to these sorts of places in BKK with my young friends, predatory sex pats are not particularly welcome. By all means go with some young friends, bring ear plugs and enjoy (if you are so inclined).
Should I stay or should I go?
in The Beer Bar
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It does seem that the consensus advice of governments and health care types is avoid unnecessary travel. Maybe worth listening to that.
Even if you think the risk is the same in Thailand as it is at home, I wouldn't want to test the health care system here in Thailand when it is Stage 3. Health care systems in much more developed countries are overwhelmed.